


Complications Arise

by MatrixDream



Series: Halo: The Arbiter x Master Chief [3]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M, Mild Smut, Mutual Pining, Promises, The past coming to bite Master Chief, War, Who is an emotionally constipated and oblivious bi, i honestly don't know how to tag this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-01-20 15:46:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18528145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatrixDream/pseuds/MatrixDream
Summary: Someone from Chief's past disrupts his relationship with Thel.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thel and John grown apart after a few months on different missions. However one finally brings them to reconnect but someone from Chief's past is on the colony as well, reminding him of a relationship long forgotten and a promise still in need of fulfilling. Having reconnected with his childhood friend Parisa, he is reminded of his promise to marry and protect her. Causing insecurities in his current relationship, as he never breaks a promise and Thel begins to believe that perhaps an inter species relationship would be best put to rest. 

        "Alright, can you look up for me? Now down, good. Okay, left, and now right. Fantastic." The medic said, as his patient easily complied. Then he turned to the small crowd in the room, his tone becoming less friendly. "Can I complete the rest of my examination in private please?" Even if the other men in the room were higher ranking than him, hence his attempted politeness, medical matters could override them if he turned it into an order. With some dirty looks, the unwelcomed company slowly filtered out of the room, leaving him alone with his patient. Scowling at the door, he shook his head before looking to the other man. "It's been a while since I've been in such a high level base. Getting time to yourself has to be a nightmare." 

        "I'm used to it." Master Chief replied, sitting down on the medical bed now that he could relax. "I recognize you."

        "Yeah, I treated you a couple months back on that small colony." The medic gestured in a vague direction before holding out a hand to him. "Dr. Borawski. Caleb Borawski, I realize I never introduced myself there."

        The hand retracted when he didn't shake it. "Didn't you leave?" 

        "Okay then." Caleb mumbled, taking a step back. "Uh, yeah. The ship had to get supplies, so I'm just helping out until we can take off again. The Arbiter is here too, in case you were wondering." He hoped the mention of the Spartan's boyfriend would maybe get the man comfortable enough to be more friendly, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. "Did something happen between you two?"

        Master Chief tensed in response to the whole topic, he didn't want to be reminded. "No." Silence ensued for a moment and he prepared to dismiss himself. 

        "Oh." Caleb suddenly spoke up, seeming to come to a conclusion. "You're not out." His face took on a pained look, "I get it...Sorry I brought it up, I won't tell anyone, especially the higher ups." Making a gesture of zipping his lips, he gave the other man a pitying smile. All he received was a nod before his patient departed, leaving him alone in the room. Heaving a sigh, he could only imagine what a reputation like the Spartan had would impact a relationship. The colony was some off the map backwater planet, this was near the heart of the UNSC where such a reputation was the most prudent. His case wasn't as extreme, but he could relate. 

* * *

 

        "I know what you're thinking, Chief." Cortana said as they departed from the medical wing. "You can't avoid him and you shouldn't."

        "Watch me."

        She sighed. "It would be so much easier if you would just go to him and explain. I understand why, you can't get away with it here, but just tell him that! You're only going to hurt your relationship if you ghost him." 

        "What if he doesn't like my explanation?" He questioned, not sure where he was going, but not really caring as he unconsciously tried to physically escape the confrontation. 

        "Cross that bridge once you get to it. Besides, you told me you made a promise-"

        "That I would see him again, I know, I just didn't think it would be here." He turned down a hallway, keeping his head low and his voice quiet. "I'm just not ready to talk about it yet-oof." He bumped into something and a hand flew to his shoulder, steadying him. Looking up, he tried not to visibly react. "The-...Arbiter." 

        "It is good to see you again..." The alien briefly glanced around the room they were in, they weren't alone and some soldiers were looking at them. "Master Chief." 

        "As promised." The aforementioned man responded, earning a snort from Cortana. 

        "How have you been?" Thel asked, removing his hand to try to dissuade further attention. A spectacle wasn't the ideal environment for catching up.

        "Good. Busy." The human replied, thankful for the gesture. "...And you?"

        "I have also been well." He smiled, regardless of the slight tension an audience brought. "We should talk, John."

        "About that..." Chief hesitated, but he knew his A.I was right, he needed to explain himself before things could get messy. "Here isn't the bes-"

        "...John?" 

        He was cut off before he could finish, instantly turning in the direction of his name. A vaguely familiar woman stared up at him, but he struggled to place a name to the face. She looked to be about his age, but understandably far shorter than he was. It took him a moment, but eventually his brain made the connection. "Parisa?" 

        "Yes, it's me! Wow, it's been so long, I didn't realize you were-" She seemed to catch herself, suddenly standing rigid and saluting him. "Master Chief, sir. Sorry for the informality, I just couldn't believe it's you!" 

        "It's fine." He said, before she jumped up to give him a hug. 

        "We need to catch up, if you're not busy!" She quickly clarified, letting him go and putting her hands behind her back, remembering she was in public. 

        "No-"

        "Great!" Grabbing his hand, she tugged him along. "I can't believe you didn't tell me it was you. I need to know everything, it has been way too long."

        Following along, he briefly turned to his previous conversation partner. "We'll talk later, Arbiter." He said, before being lead elsewhere, leaving the aforementioned alien alone.

        Thel could only stare after them, unsure of what had just transpired. It didn't feel great, but he tried not to let his confusion and hurt show. However, a comforting hand was placed on his shoulder.

        "Humans." Rtas muttered, shaking his head as he stood beside his friend. "Are you alright?" 

        "I am fine."

        "We have important business to attend to, but you can find him after." Gradually he steered the other Sangheili away from that spot. 

        Despite his words, Thel shot a quick glance back in the direction the Spartan had left. This was not a problem he had foreseen, but he couldn't help feeling like he should have. Humans often seemed to prefer their own. 

* * *

 

        It felt good being able to connect with a childhood friend again, especially Parisa. Not that he had been allowed to tell her anything, but he said as much as he could. She didn't seem to mind, still overwhelmed with the realization that he was alive _and_ a legend. That reputation had cut their conversation off short however, as he was quickly called upon for a mission. 

        "I can't believe you." Cortana sighed in aggravation. 

        He dodged a blast from a Grunt, shooting it down before responding to his companion. "What?"

        "You completely ignored the Arbiter! Who was that woman anyway?" She asked, before spotting another Grunt. "Watch your flank." 

        Heeding her warning, he huffed out as well. "I did not. I told him we'll talk later and can _we_ talk about this later?" 

        "Later when you're dead? Come on, you gave him nothing. It's been months since you two have seen each other." It was hard not to shake her head. As dear as he was to her, he also drove her up the metaphorical wall. "Brute up ahead, try not to die before I can kick your emotionally constipated ass." 

        "I am not...Okay, I am, but still." A lull entered the conversation as he fought against the aforementioned Brute. Narrowly avoiding a punch in the head as his gun jammed. He managed to get it to fire just in time, killing the hostile alien. "Anyway." 

        "So, who is she then? You two seemed real close, but I haven't heard of her." 

        "We were friends before..." He gestured to himself, not quite needing to explain. "I saved her and...Oh..."

        "Oh? Oh, what?" Cortana asked, they were walking through a clear spot so there weren't any enemies, meaning he had a realization.

        "I promised I would marry her."

        The A.I was eerily silent for a moment. "Tell me you're joking." When no response followed hers, she voiced her disbelief. "I know how you are with your promises, but you, no, you haven't seen this woman in so long. She thought you were dead! How long has it been? And what about the Arbiter? Chief, what did you do?" She grabbed her head, shaking it out of pure frustration. "I swear, sometimes you-Jackal!" 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John upholds his promise to Parisa, much to the Arbiter's distress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gets a bit smutty near the end, but I skimped again because I got stuck XD

        Discharged from the medical bay with only a few abrasions, he was left with only one goal in mind. Chief knew he needed to talk to Parisa. The Arbiter as well, but sorting out the first situation would hopefully help with the second. There was no doubt she still remembered the promise, but now that she knew John was alive, what were they going to do?

        "I know that look. What are you doing?" Cortana asked as they briskly walked down the halls. "Are you finally going to go talk to the Arbiter?" 

        "Later, right now I need to find Parisa." Hopefully before he bumped into-

        For someone who was told he had a lot of luck, he wasn't feeling very lucky as he crashed into the one alien he was trying to avoid, _again_. "I have been looking for you, Master Chief. Would now be a good time to talk?" The Arbiter questioned, helping the man up. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence they kept finding each other. 

        Just barely holding back a curse, the aforementioned man quietly turned it into a sigh. "Now isn't a great time, I need to sort something personal out." Sidestepping around him, the Spartan continued walking.

        He turned and followed. "Would this personal business involve that woman?" 

        Master Chief stopped, silent for a moment before answering. "It doesn't matter." Neither of them said a word after that.

        However, the conversation was far from done. "This is _painful_ to watch!" Cortana exclaimed, projecting herself so both idiot males could see her. 

        "Cortana!" Her partner warned, but she waved him off.

        "This bucket of bolts fucked up and promised to marry that woman."

        " _Years_ ago," Chief quickly clarified. "I'm handling it." 

        The Sangheili looked genuinely hurt. "Why did you not tell me?" 

        "I just want to deal with it myself, it's fine, I'm going to go talk to her now." Pushing past the alien and waving away his A.I, he continued walking. He was definitely walking, not running. "I can't believe you just did that."

        "Someone had to say something." Cortana sighed. "Besides, I help keep you alive, you can't stay mad at me." 

        "Yeah, we'll see."

* * *

 

        Standing in front of Parisa's door, Chief hesitated. "I'm talking to her _alone_ , I can handle things myself." Cortana only released a 'pfft' in response. "You don't trust me?"

        "Oh, I trust you, _on the battlefield_. When it comes to you maintaining a relationship, not so much." The A.I shook her head. "But, I'll try to back off. It's your life and if you want to keep doing whatever the hell you're doing, I'll just stand here and silently judge."

        The man shot her an unimpressed look. "What would you do then?"

        "For one, I'd communicate better. How many missions have gone to hell because of poor orders? If you aren't given an idea of what to expect, how are you supposed to properly execute the mission?" She asked, before realizing something. "And don't you dare say dumb luck, because that's just you. Most people need to know what they are doing. Think of a relationship like a battlefield. You gotta help your allies stay on the same page." 

        "Okay." He nodded, "Thank you." then knocked on the door. 

        There was a pause, before it was opened, a woman's face peeking out to see who it was. "Oh! John, come in." She held the door open, before realizing her mistake and quickly correcting herself. "I'm sorry, I should call you Master Chief, shouldn't I?" 

        "It's fine, but in public, yes." He said, before entering. 

        "Did you need something? Am I being called in for a mission?" She asked, keeping her posture perfect. 

        "We need to talk about the promise." Hopefully he wouldn't need to clarify what promise he meant. 

        Thankfully she seemed to know, visibly relaxing under the revelation that this was a casual conversation. "Right. I've never forgotten about it, as you know." 

        "I know, and I know that you know I never break a promise."

        Surprisingly she laughed. "For a long time I thought it would be the one you would finally break." Sitting down on her bed, she leaned back to better face the Spartan. "I'm glad you're alive, but it was so long ago. We both have changed so much, you really don't have to keep it if you don't want to." 

        "I have never broken a promise and I refuse to start now." 

        "Alright, let's figure out this marriage thing." 

* * *

 

        "You wanted to speak with me." The Arbiter barely contained a 'finally', as he looked down at the Spartan.

        "I have another mission, so I can't talk for now, but I talked to Parisa."

        "I see. What have you decided?" His question was hesitant, but he had to know.

        "We've decided I'll be marrying her-."

        "Master Chief, get your ass over here ASAP!" Before the aforementioned man could finish, he was interrupted, being called upon to start his mission. 

        "We can talk later." He said, before jogging off to board the falcon. 

        "You just dug the biggest hole known to man in about two second flat, impressive." Cortana sighed, likely crossing her arms. 

        "What do you mean?" He questioned as the doors shut and the ship prepared to take off. 

        Cortana was about to speak, but thought better of it. "I'll let you figure this one out on your own."

* * *

 

        The lack of action made many of the soldiers restless, but the aliens occupied their own time with sparring. The Covenant may have been dwindling, but that was no reason to get sloppy. However, Rtas quickly noticed that his partner certainly wasn't up to par. 

        "You are angry." He pointed out, dodging an uncoordinated blow. The other Sangheili was still a great fighter, even mad, but there was no grace in this spar. 

        "Hardly." The Arbiter responded, mandibles drawn in taut as he continued his attack. If anything the comment only made his mood worse.

        "I can read you easily, talk to me." His friend said, suddenly grabbing his arm and pinning him. Maybe he was a bit distracted. 

        With a heaved sigh, he shook his head, before being helped up. The mock battle was finished. "It is the Spartan," His fellow Sangheili indicated for him to continue. "He is marrying another human." At the other Elite's clear confusion, he explained in their own tongue. 

        Another Sangheili passed by before pausing at their conversation. He took notice of the intruder and regretted to say he recognized the other alien. "Trouble in paradise?" Zyt 'Hanom asked, earning a glare from the two higher ups. 

        "Have you learned nothing of respect aboard my ship?" Rtas questioned, annoyed with the youth's boldness. 

        "Sir." The subordinate saluted before continuing. "I spent three years surrounded by humans and I think there's a loophole in the marriage thing...If you want to know."

        "Alright." The Arbiter crossed his arms, willing to humour the notion. 

        "So, the person who officiates the whole thing will ask if anyone objects. If you get there in time, you can object to the wedding." Zyt explained, deciding not to weigh the accuracy by mentioning he learned this from movies. The colony he was stuck on was very boring.

        "If the human custom fails, you could always challenge the spouse to a fight to the death." Rtas suggested as well, seeing the options visibly brighten his ally's mood. 

        It quickly soured again at a realization. "I was not informed where the wedding will take place." 

        Zyt pulled a slip of paper from his armour, handing it to the elder Sangheili. "N'theta found it. Now, go crash a wedding!" He said, before speedily walking off, likely in search of the aforementioned alien. 

 

        The Arbiter weaved through the unknown halls, following signs as he tried to find the location holding the wedding. It would seem it had already started based on the time, but he could only hope he wasn't too late. He would attempt the human custom, even if he didn't quite understand it. It seemed almost similar to some of his kinds own union ceremonies, with the two individuals and an officiator. However, interventions were typically more violent in his culture.

        Regardless, he swore to himself to honour the human custom as he approached the door clearly advertising a wedding. Hesitating to steady himself, he unclenched his tense muscles before pushing the door open. 

        Confusion instantly washed over him as he took in the scene. It was certainly a wedding, that woman was there in a surprisingly lavish outfit and Master Chief was there as well. However, they weren't in the right spots. Just as quickly he noticed an audience now turned to him.

        "Pardon me." He spoke carefully, shoving down the embarrassment as he excused himself to the corner. The stares stayed on him for a while, the room awkwardly silent before slowly drifting back to the front of the room. With the attention finally taken off of him, the wedding resumed, further confusing him as he watched. 

        His eyes were glued to another man, not one he had ever seen before. This man was in the groom spot and the Spartan seemed to be...officiating a wedding between the woman he was supposedly marrying and that strange man. There was also no talk of objection, making the situation all the worse as a few weary eyes occasionally glanced in his direction. Leaving would only increase the unwanted scrutiny, so he stayed for the rest of the agonizingly long ceremony. 

        By the end of it, most of the guests seemed to pointedly ignore his presence, which was honestly better for him. As congratulations went around to the wedded pair, he played with the thought of escaping, but stood his ground as the woman made eye contact with him. She finished speaking with one of her people before hurriedly approaching the alien, her husband quickly filling in her absence in conversation with the guests. 

        "Hi." She said, waving for the Elite to follow her outside.

        He did, despite his apprehension. "I apologize for the intrusion, it was not my intention to ruin your-"

        With a laugh, she shook her head. "You didn't ruin anything, the day is still young. If anything, I'm afraid I've stood in your way." The alien indicated for her to continue with a nod. "I didn't realize at first, I was a bit too wrapped up in my own world to see it, but I know you and John have your own thing going on."

        "I have to say, I am quite..." He tried to think of a word.

        "Confused?" She finished, "I was too. I could see your connection, so believe me when I say I was surprised he approached me about his promise to marry me. I know how he is with his promises, but I also knew we both grew as people. I fell in love, I could just never bring myself to marry the love of my life because of that slim chance that John was still alive. I guess he branched out a bit too. It was silly, but once I got that closure, it changed everything. John and I talked it out, I suppose you could say we found a loophole in his promise." Chuckling to herself again, she smiled fondly. "We agreed he would marry me...to the man I love. He's Master Chief after all, he has the authority." 

        "I see." The Arbiter said, still trying to wrap his head around everything. 

        "I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused you, you're a busy Elite. At least I can thank you for coming to my wedding."

        "And I apologize once again for showing up uninvited." He told her sincerely. 

        "Well, consider yourself invited. You're welcome back in if you would like," She gestured to the door holding the wedding, then pointed to another. "Or you could wait over there and I'll get Chief for you." 

        "Thank you..."

        "Parisa."

        "Thank you, Parisa." The aforementioned woman smiled at him before walking back into her wedding. 

        The Arbiter waited outside for a few minutes, occasionally peering at the door and seeing the people moving within the room. It felt like an eternity, but eventually the Spartan in green armour was pushed out of the door by the bride half his size. 

        "Have a nice chat, gentlemen." Parisa said, winking at the Elite before shutting the door and giving them privacy. 

        For a moment, they both stood in silence, watching and waiting for the other to make the first move. Chief decided he should be the one to do so. "I can explain."

        "No need, Parisa already did." 

        "Oh." Cortana was right, he was awful with this kind of thing. "I should apologize then. I'm sorry. I haven't made the time to reconnect with you and I didn't put you as one of my priorities, when I should have."

        "You are busy, I understand that-"

        "So are you." He interrupted, shaking his head and placing a gentle hand on his companion's shoulder. "I'm not great at this whole," gesturing vaguely he failed to find a word. "...thing. Still, even I know I've treated you poorly and I'm especially sorry for that." 

        Any further conversation was drowned out by loud laughter and chatter from the party practically beside them. "We should speak elsewhere." The Arbiter said, wishing to continue the conversation and sort things out. At last. The man nodded in agreement, following him into the second door which lead to a closet. Not an ideal space, but it would have to do. "How do you wish to proceed?" He asked, earning a questioning noise from the Spartan. "I am still interested in you, however, I need to know. Do you wish to reconnect or to return to allies?"

        Chief couldn't help a sigh, leaning against a wall as he regarded the alien. "I'm just worried about how others will...react. The soldiers on that colony are a good example and that's just on a small scale. We are at the heart of the UNSC, I don't want to jeopardize the alliance."

        "If our relationship would disrupt the alliance, then it is a weak alliance. Our relationship should further unite it, not tear it apart." The Sangheili argued. 

        "You're right." He said, taking off his helmet and placing it down on a shelf. 

        "I do not wish to affect the alliance our people have," The Sangheili continued. Reaching out a hand to sadly brush through his hair, or what remained of it with the fresh buzz cut. "But I do not care for their opinions on my personal life. So, you were willing to commit to Parisa, are you willing to commit to me or will we be going our separate ways?"

        "...What kind of commitment?" He asked, hoping to avoid trapping himself in another mess. 

        "I do not ask for marriage," The Arbiter quickly clarified, even if he wasn't opposed to it. They could talk about that further into their relationship if all went well. "Simply something more than our label-less... _affair_." 

        "I'll need time, but I can do that."

        "That is all I ask." He affirmed, relief washing over him at the clarity. 

        The Spartan gave a small smile, resting a hand atop his own. "Although, I wouldn't mind reconnecting right now...if you're not opposed." 

        He responded with a questioning noise, before realization struck and that smile turned to a smirk. "It has been a while." He purred, leaning into the man and using his free hand to idly play with a latch on the green armour. 

        Chief used his other hand to help remove parts of his armour, quickly leaving him in just his underclothing. Before reaching out to help his partner remove the alien armour. Despite the distance and time, they easily slipped back into the familiarity, uncaring as plating fell to the floor. Removing his shirt, he placed it over his helmet for some privacy from his A.I. "How are we doing this?" He asked, interested in avoiding as much further miscommunication as possible. 

        The Arbiter pulled out a small bottle of lube. "I believe it should be your turn." 

        "You just keep that in there?" Chief asked, chuckling. The question only received a shrug. "Fair enough." He continued, reaching a hand out and brushing it against the Sangheili's shoulder. "Alright." 

        The soft touch elicited a shiver from his alien, who crooned out a quiet, "John." Before catching his hand and turning him around, pinning him against the wall. "It is my turn."

        He only nodded in response, content to stay as his partner's hands moved down to his hips, removing his boxers in a single motion. Then they roamed upwards, finger tips gliding across the skin of his back, appreciating every muscle and scar before traveling downwards again. He relaxed under the attention, only tensing once it got to his butt.

        "Easy." Thel uttered, grabbing the bottle of lube. He coated his fingers as thoroughly as possible before addressing his partner. "Ready?" Once he received the confirmation he was looking for, 

        "Fuck that's cold." The man gasped out.

        He chuckled despite himself, continuing to press a single finger in. "It won't be for long."

        Gradually he began to work a second one in, giving his human time to adjust before seeking out that special spot. Finding it, he massaged it mercilessly, earning a shout and a groan, followed by curses. A proprietorial growl emanated from him, reveling in the knowledge such sounds were reserved for only him. 

        "Getting possessive?" John managed out before shuddering. 

        "Perhaps." His partner, no, his boyfriend, replied. 

        "Good." He said, feeling his Sangheili begin to properly enter him. Which made him apprehensive to interrupt, but he paused regardless. "One complaint, you're crushing my dick." 

        Thel huffed out a gentle laugh, relenting and backing off of the man enough to turn the human around. Steadying himself, he hiked his partner's legs up and around his waist before pushing the Spartan's back against the wall. "Better?" He questioned, coyly. The man nodded an affirmative before giving him the go ahead to proceed. He did, taking caution to properly support them before lining himself back up. 

* * *

 

        Parisa was surprised to see three more Elites standing outside of her wedding. Regardless, she nodded in acknowledgement to the oldest one, getting a nod back. She approached them, noticing their attention wasn't on her wedding, but the closet. "How long have they been in there?" She asked. 

        "Awhile." Rtas said casually. 

        "Think they'll come out of the closet anytime soon?" One of the younger Elites, N'theta, piped up. His counterpart laughed and the woman couldn't help a small smirk. 

        "Eventually." Zyt responded, before turning to the human. "So, did the Arbiter crash your wedding?"

        She made a face and a 'so-so' gesture. "A bit, but we got it all sorted out. I was actually hoping for everything else to go smoothly, but guests started getting concerned when the gift table started moving."

        "Just tell them it's space mice." He said, shooting a pointed look to the closet. "I can hear squeaking in there."

        N'theta stifled his laughter, while Rtas shot the two younger Sangheili's a disapproving look. However, any reprimands were interrupted by the closet door opening. Chief and the Arbiter exited, before pausing, startled by the audience. 

        "How long have you been waiting for us?" The latter questioned.

        The three Sangheili and woman looked at their nonexistent watches before replying in unison. "Awhile."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cortana:"By the way Chief, the shirt did absolutely nothing."
> 
>  
> 
> My Tumblr (https://5amanthus.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I'm back! And I hate love triangles just as much as the next person, but I'm just wrapping up a canon lose end for my gay agenda, haha. This will probably be a shorter one, but I promise I have plenty in store for these two and others!


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